Nut and fruit pickup device



July 11, 1950 H. M. FORTIER 2,514,

NUT AND FRUIT PICK-UP DEVICE Filed Nov. 23, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IHHH I N V E NTO I2. fierm an M For/fer- ATTOENEY July 11, 1950 H. M. FORTIER NUT AND FRUIT PICK-UP DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 23, 1948 INVENTORT Harm an M f'orfler BY ATTOFZN Y device.

part hereof,

Patented July 11, 1 950 NUT AND I Herman M. Fortier, n

ear

Calif PATENT OFFICE Chico; Butte County,

Application November 23, 1943," Serial N o. 61", 58

This invention relates'to a device for picking up almonds, walnuts, prunes, and the like from the ground. The invention will be particularly dee 1 Claim. (01.56-1-228) Levers 26 are provided u are extended forwardly therefrom to ears 28' scribedas ithas been practiced upon almonds,

but the deviceis obviouslysuited to picking up other nuts and fruits. i

It is in general a broad object of, the present invention to provide a novel nut and fruit pick-up Another object ofthe present invention is to providefa: pick-up device which can be moved rapidly over the ground to pick up nuts and fruit.

Ifhe invention includes other objects and features of invention, some of which, together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter, wherein the present preferred form of pick-up device is disclosed.

In the drawings acc suitably driven from a motor 8-under the control of an operator seated upon, seat 9.. The vehicle includes wheels H. at its forward end which; are moved by steering mechanism: I215 and steering wheel |3 to alter the path'of the vehicles as it moves over the ground; :the wheelsare hinged as at 4-; on a forward. frame portion. l5 of thevehicle. A pitman arm i6 is secured to each hinge wheel mounting and is connected by rods I! to the steering mechanism I2. The dirigible vehicle disclosed is one typically available; it will be appreciated that any other suitable dirigible vehicle canbe used instead.

Mounted forwardly of the vehicle and adapted to move over the ground in advance of the vehicle is the pick-up and gathering mechanism generally indicated bynumeral 2| and including an arcuate housing structure 22, the whole being mounted on a suitable frame, as will be described. The pick-up mechanism is adjustably mounted on the front of the vehicle so that it can be lowered into operating position or raised from that position to permit the vehicle to movefreely over the ground. To this end, uprights 23 are mounted upon the forward frame portion l5 of the vehicle to provide a support for a transverse shaft 24.

the vehicle.

pon the shaft and rods 21 mounted on. housing 22. Shaft 24 is selectively rotated bythe operator as by a lever 25 secured to H the shaft 24 and by a rod 33 to the control lever 34. 1 -An angle iron is extended along the length ofthe housing 22 and suitable hinge mountings 30a are provided between this and the transversely extending plate like portion |5a of the forward "frameportion l5. By moving-lever 34 rearwardly the entire pick-up can be lifted clear of' the'ground, while forward movement of the lever permits the pick-up to move'into pick-up position in which it is supported in a desired position of adjustmentwithrespect'to the ground by caster wheels 32.

The pick-up mechanism comprises a horizontal shaft 4| mounted-in bearings'Ma in the side wallsf2 2a and 22b of the housing-structure 22] .The shaft 4| has a plurality of separate brushes 42 extending radially therefrom at spaced intervals about the shaft. In Figures 3 and 4 in the drawing, I have indicatedfour spaced brushes positioned-radially at equal 'intervals abou't the shaft-,but more. or less can-be used as desired.

Itis important, however, that the brushes not be continuous J and that they be spaced apartbecauseeit is-inecessary that the brushes cooperate with arcuate housing 22 and particularly the forward arcuate wall surface 43 thereof. Thus-re ferring particularly to Figures 3 and 4, it is to be poi'ntedout that the forward wall surface 43 of several brushes'42. Itis alsoimportantthat the" brushes be rotated in the direction of advance of Thus, in Figures 3 and 4, the vehicle is adapted to move horizontally from right to left.

Similarly, the brushes are adapted to rotate in a clockwise direction so the brushes sweep forward inthe direction of'advance of the vehicle over the ground, thus sweeping nuts and other objects up-- wardly into the space confined between thebrushes and the arcuate wall surface 43, thebrushes being of a length whereby they sweep the: ground and move the objects on the ground forward to lift them into the free space between the brush. By providing brushes at spaced intervals about the shaft and by moving these forwardly, in cooperation with the arcuate housing, the objects can be moved off the ground and into the space between the housing and the brush. The speed of rotation of the brush shaft and the peripherical speed of the brushes is not critical so long as the brushes move with a rapidity sufficient to move the: nuts forward and to-between; the brush and the housing. I have used shaft speeds of from 500 R. P. M. to 1400 R. P. M. with brushes having a radial length of 12 inches.

As the brush completes its rotation, the-objects are thrown oil? by centrifugal force and are received upon a shelf 44- whiclrextends; generally horizontally, preferably at an elevation abovethat of the shaft 4|. The shelf, 44, preferably tilts rearwardly slightly to deliver the objects into a suitable conveyor such as that provided by the screw conveyor generally indicated at 46 andwhich, includes asuitable cooperating trough 41, a shaft, 4!! having opposite hand screws 49 and ll InQ11nted; thereon, as appears particularly in Eigure 1, and which serve to; deliver' the nuts. to the intermediate conveyor structure 5| provided; between the screws; 49 and, 5,0,, as appearsin Eiggures 1 and; 3 The; intermediate conveyor structure 5,! moves; the; nuts upwardly, todis,- charge: them; into a rearwardly extending. conveyor; structure 52 and which-,servestotransport nuts; to the I rear-of; the mafihine. and to separateut from leaves andgwaste; separator-cone veyor; 5 2; discharges; the.- nutsthrough. a: 01111136354 into; a wheeled trailer or other: suitable collecting means drawn; by the: vehicle; in, a; loading: position.

'lihe-pick-upmechanism and: the several conveyors-l are suitably; driven in, a timed, relation,v preferably: from; th power take-01f; shaft, 611.1 of thQmQtor 8;; shaft Blhas a. sprocket 62 mounted thereon. over which; av chain 63- is; passed; andwhich; in turn. drives. a jackshafit 6,4: liy'means'v of @SDIZOCKEI}, Be, thereon; thejack shaft is. suit:-.- ably iOurna-lled: upon an auxiliary: extending; framemember; 61f J ackxshait. 6.4;.carries a: sprocket H and, a; chain 12; is, trained about; this; about; a. sprocket. Ii-3; provided upon; the brush. shaft; 4 I- and; overa Sprocket. H? onv conveyor: shaft .48; an idler; sprocket 14 servesrto guide, and to: maintain, the desired tensionin the chain. A second: jackhafJ 18;I:is driven fnomijaclr;shaft64jby-a chain. 82 passed; about; suitable: sprockets; 83 and 8.4' on; each: of, the; shafts. From: the; second; jack: shaft; 81-, chains; 86 and 8.1 are; extended: about; suit-- ablenairs. 8%89..and19l--92 to; drive; conveyors 5t rid- From the foregoing, it is believed to be apparent that I have provided a novel, simple, and yet highly effective pick-up mechanism which can be applied successfully to the gathering of objects from the ground such as almonds, walnuts, and other like articles.

I claim:

In an apparatus movable over the ground to pick. up nuts and fruits, thereon: a horizontal transversely extending shaft; bearings supporting ,said shaft for rotation; a plurality of separate angularly spaced brushes mounted longitudinally on said'shaf tgandigextending radially from the shaft;

means for rotating said shaft to advance said brushes over the ground in the normal direction of movement of the apparatus over the ground; arhousing for: said! brush including side walls in which. said bearings are mounted, a substantially semi circ'ular forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward portion conforming closely to the path of movement of the outer ends of said brushes from adjacentthe. ground level to confine objects swept forwardly and upwardly from-the ground by saidv brushes, said rearward portion extending rearwardly' and upwardlyfirom said forward portion to deflect objects discharged: frombetween said brushes, said rear-wardl porti'onterminating at: itswearwardend in a holdzontal conveyor trough extending substantially paral-lel'to-said shaft, said? trough having an open top-within said housin'gyashelf within said rear-- ward-portionof said-housing and extending sub'- stantially parallel to-said shaft and: said trough, saidshelf having its forward edge positioned.

aboveand to the rear of-"said shaft and its reanward edge-positioned adjacent the open: top of said trough to receive objects from said brushes: and discharge such objects into said trough; a conveyor screw in said trough for conveying objects alongthe trough, andmeans for adjustably' supporting said housing;

RE ER-linens; erran- The following references are; of. record" in the file, of this, patent:- I

' unrrnn smA'rEs. RAIIENIIFS. 

